Nuno Espirito Santo is set to start Eric Dier for Tottenham Hotspur’s season-opener against Manchester City, per football.london, despite attempts to sell the defender this summer.
Spurs lift the curtain on the 2021/22 campaign at home to the defending champions on Sunday. The north Londoners lost two of their three meetings with the Citizens across all competitions last term. Although their sole win came on home territory in November.
Dier featured alongside Toby Alderweireld, Sergio Reguilon and Serge Aurier in the 2-0 win last winter. But also started Tottenham’s 3-0 defeat to Manchester City in February and the 1-0 Carabao Cup final loss in April.
Dier made a total of 39 appearances across all competitions last season, starting 38, with 28 top-flight outings. The 27-year-old only helped Spurs to keep eight clean sheets during Premier League fixtures, however.
And his time in the capital appeared to be running out this summer, as Managing Director Fabio Paratici sought potential suitors. The Times reported in July that Dier featured on a list of players Tottenham want to sell this summer, including Alderweireld and Erik Lamela.
Paratici managed to find homes for Alderweireld and Lamela in Al-Duhail and Sevilla, but Dier remains at Tottenham, for now. And his continued presence in north London should see Nuno start the £72,000-per-week deadwood against Manchester City.
Football.london expect Dier, Reguilon and goalkeeper Hugo Lloris are the only certainties to feature in the Spurs backline on Sunday. Nuno may debut summer signing Cristian Romero, but the Argentine is a fitness concern. Davinson Sanchez would be the favourite to otherwise start.
Nuno to face same problems at Tottenham with Dier starting?
Nuno will likely be loath to start Dier against Manchester City after Tottenham’s attempts to sell the 45-cap England international. But with Romero possibly unfit, the Cheltenham-born enforcer stands a good chance of featuring.
But Dier will have to show more than he managed last term to maintain his position going forward. Danny Mills heavily criticised the Sporting Lisbon product in May after he was involved in all three of Leeds United’s goals during a 3-1 defeat at Elland Road.
Mills told talkSPORT: “Spurs’ defence is non-existent, it was too easy for Leeds. Eric Dier was involved twice in that goal, a poor clearing header and then he was caught ball-watching, completely caught on his heels yet again. Bamford just steals in front of him.”
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